For everyone literally getting sick with anxiety here are some things you CAN do to feel better in the light of so much overwhelming can’t. These are not cures for actual clinical anxiety, which should be managed with help from a mental health profesional—these are just some small, everyday things I personally do as someone who deals with OCD and stomach issues every day:
Sip water or tea. Chamomile and lemon balm are good.
Eat simple foods that are easy on your stomach. My favorite is sugar free Jello. Comfort yourself the way you would when you are actually sick—your body doesn’t know the difference.
Eat foods that are rich in folate, which helps your body produce neurotransmitters like serotonin. Blueberries, kale, and dark chocolate are good for this. So is plan old-fashioned sunshine.
Snuggle your pets. They love you. They don’t care about politics.
Watch a Disney movie. Watch Mr. Rogers.
Go shopping. You don’t have to buy stuff. But browsing nice, aesthetically pleasing places like a Bath and Body Works is very comforting. Plus it gets out of the house. Take a friend with you!
Peoplewatch! Try a park, playground, a mall, or a campus building.
Belly breathe: Spend some time slowly but pointedly breathing with your stomach rather than your upper chest.
Reading can be hard to focus on when you’re anxious, but listening to audio books works wonders. Try LibriVox or AudioBookRadio.
Seek companions and empathy. Talk about what upsets you. But don’t do it alone—online venting, for example, is highly stressful and can be counterproductive because of its one sidedness. Find someone you trust and talk to them. Talk to your mom. Find a human voice.
Take a gentle, safe sleep aid. Nyquil makes a safe sleep aid. Benadryl and dramamine are also good sleep aids. Avoid alcohol—it’s hard on your already agitated stomach.
Interact with your immediate environment and the people in it. Visit your neighbor. Go for a walk. Sign up to volunteer at a soup kitchen. Getting involved in your local community is a good way to shrink what feel like overwhelming problems into manageable bites.
Watch QVC. I know this sounds weird, but QVC is a rock for times when you’re stuck alone with your problems, especially at night—it’s broadcast live, which is a nice reminder that the world is still turning, Plus, they talk to you in a positive, encouraging tone, as opposed to the news, which is mostly designed to terrify you.
Watch The Weather Channel. Like QVC, The Weather Channel is comforting in its predictability and live broadcasting. The content is not as positive, but it is a good distraction and a reminder that there is a real, living world out there.
There are lots of live online stations you can watch, too. Live kittens, live underwater kelp forests. Here are Cornell Labs’ Live Bird Cams: http://cams.allaboutbirds.org/
Try Yoga. Even a simple beginner’s video where you’re gently guided to focus on your body will help calm you: Here’s a good one for beginners.
Focus on the present. Focus on an environment you can physically improve. Anxiety is mostly the fear of an uncertain future—so focus on what you can do right now in the room you’re in. Are there dishes to wash? A bed to make? Work to do? Do these things. Chores are amazing at relieving anxiety. I recommend @unfuckyourhabitat if you need inspiration.
Do homework. I’m not even joking. There’s a difference between good knowledge and bad knowledge, and no matter your age, actively putting good knowledge into your brain helps relieve stress. Find a topic that you don’t know much about. Research it. Take notes. Learn something new. Write a friend and email telling them all about this new thing you’ve learned.
Take a bath.
Masturbate. YOU BET. Touching yourself in a soothing way and allowing yourself to feel pleasure is a great reminder to your body that you care about it.
Pamper yourself. Paint your nails. Put on makeup.
Try ASMR, a proven relaxation technique. I recommend Maria aka Gentlewhispering:
Also, I mentioned this on Twitter, but if you’re up to it, and you have the strength, chat with people online. Let friends know that your DMs and messages are open. Reach out to strangers who are scared. Wish people well.
You have a right to feel angry, frustrated, and frightened today. But comforting others will help you feel less powerless.
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